The Hardest Thing
by Writingiswhatiam
Summary: After a night of passion goes too far, Manny finds herself harboring a secret that could destroy her friendship with Emma.
1. Chapter 1 & 2

Title: The Hardest Thing

Summery: After a night of passion, Manny finds herself harboring an enormous secret that could destroy her friendship with Emma.

Authors Note: I'm sorry if the characters seem OOC, but if you'll just bear with me for a couple of chapters, I promise they will adjust. And I'm sorry if the writing is a little crappy at first, I promise it gets better. Takes place...after what it feels like to be a ghost I guess. The first two chapters were kind of short, so i combined them

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Chapter 1

Feelings that aren't supposed to be felt

Manny sat on the couch, baby Jack in her lap, sharing potato chips with him. She heard the door open and shut, "Emma, are you finally home?" She called.

But it was Sean who walked through the doorway. He was wearing a wife beater that accentuated his muscled chest very well, a pair of jeans that looked totally hot on him and tennis shoes. His hair was down, and his beautiful eyes glistened.

"Oh, hi Sean," she said as casually as she could manage.

"Hi, Manny," he said, sitting on the couch and getting a chip. "Where is everybody?"

"Snake had a meeting after school, Spike ran to the store, and Emma is over at Liberty's."

"Oh," he nodded. "How are you holding up? He asked. "With the whole Craig thing."

She sighed. "I'm fine," she told him. "My boyfriend loved coke more than he loved me. What can you do?" She added with another sigh.

"That sucks," he said. "Craig's a jackass for doing that do you?"

She nodded. She stood up and put Jack in his playpen, and motioned toward the kitchen. "You want something to drink?" She asked.

"Sure," he got up to follow her and sat down in a chair at the kitchen table.

Manny bent down to grab a couple of sodas out of the refrigerator, and Sean couldn't help but notice how the small of her back was exposed. He saw the smoothness of her dark skin, the silky-ness of her long dark hair. He closed his eyes and shook himself out of it.

"Here you go," she handed him a can of soda.

"Thanks," he said. He'd been attracted to her for awhile. But it was awkward, living with his beautiful girlfriend, her gorgeous friend...and of course Emma's parents. So he didn't do anything, he just tried to keep his feelings to himself. He hoped that nobody, especially Emma, had seen the way he'd began to look at Manny. He couldn't help himself. He loved every move she made, every gesture. He loved the way she talked, the way she looked when she was practicing for Spirit Squad, the way her hair swung back and forth when she moved.

"So," he said, clearing his throat. "What are you up to?"

"Getting ready to do homework," she sighed.

"That's one thing I don't miss about school," he laughed.

"You're so lucky you're out," she said, playfully punching his arm. "You're all 'out-of-school-and-grown-up.'"

He laughed. "Yeah, but you'll be better off in the long run if you finish."

"You're probably right."

Their eyes met, and his heart jumped to his throat. Her beautiful brown eyes sparkled with laughter; he wanted to lean in and kiss her so badly. He cleared his throat, looking away. "I promised I'd meet Jay," he said. "So I've got to run."

"Okay," she said, trying not to sound disappointed. She shook her head after he left. She was at it again. Always attracted to somebody else's boyfriend. Only this time, that someone was her best friend.

Chapter 2  
Confiding in a friend

Sean sat on Jay's couch, downing his second beer.

"Man, what's with you tonight?" Jay said, already on his fourth. "I've never seen you drink more than one at a time."

"If I told you, you'd think I was a jerk," he said, crushing the can between his hands.

"Try me," Jay's words slurred a little bit.

"Okay," he said. "Manny is hot."

"Every guy in Toronto knows that," Jay said. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that she's Emma's best friend."

"So?" Jay said, taking out another beer. "As long as you don't want to do her or anything."

Sean looked down at the crushed beer can in his hand.

"Oh," Jay exclaimed. "So you do want to do her,"

"Shut up," Sean said, tossing the empty beer can at him.

Jay laughed hysterically, and Sean prayed that Jay would be too drunk to remember this conversation. "Well," he said finally after drinking half of the beer, "alls I gots to say is...don't get caught."

Sean rolled his eyes.

Manny was down stairs changing into her pajama's when the phone rang. She reached over and picked it up. "Simpson-Nelson residence," she said into the receiver.

"Manny, its Emma," Emma said in a hushed tone.

"Em, where are you, its like almost midnight?"

"I know, but I couldn't leave Liberty. She's so upset," Emma whispered. "Will you tell Mom and Snake that I'm crashing here tonight?"

"Sure thing. Is Liberty okay? Do you need me to come over?" she asked.

"No, don't worry, we'll be fine."

"Okay, sweetie," Manny said, "good luck."

"Thanks," Emma said.

Manny hung up the phone.

She lay down in her bed, snuggling up in the covers. She tossed and turned for at least twenty minutes, her mind swirling with thoughts about Sean and about how devastated Emma would be if she knew she felt this way.

She finally couldn't take anymore and jumped out of bed. She grabbed her backpack and went upstairs to the kitchen. She took out her math book and opened it to the page the homework was assigned to. She reached in her bag to find a pencil, but her hand landed on a picture instead. She pulled it out, knowing it would be one of her and Craig. She looked down at it. She was right. It was a picture Emma had taken of them at The Dot. She was laughing, and Craig was behind her with his arms wrapped around her shoulders. He was nuzzling her ear. They looked so happy. The epitome of the perfect couple. The photograph brought tears to her eyes as she remembered how much she had loved him, and how badly it had ended.

She heard the door on the side of the kitchen open, and she quickly wiped away her tears.

Sean stood in the doorway. "Has Emma come home yet?" he asked.

"No," Manny said, her voice shaky. "She's staying at Liberty's tonight."

"Manny?" Sean asked, coming in and setting down next to her, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said. She handed the picture to him and wiped her cheeks again.

"Oh," he said, looking at the picture. "Craig's such a jerk. I could kill him for doing this to you."

"I don't understand," she said, the tears forming in her eyes again. She walked over to the sink, keeping her back to him. She didn't want him to see her cry. "Why wasn't I enough for him?"

"Hey," he said, following her. He put his hand on her shoulder and gently turned her to face him. "Hey, don't cry," he wrapped his arms around her. "You're gorgeous, and you're smart, and talented, and if he can't see that, then that's his problem."

She couldn't help but think of how safe she felt in his arms, her face buried against his chest. It felt like home. She pulled back a little bit, so she could look in his eyes. "Do you mean that?" she asked.

"Completely," he said.

This time when their eyes met, he couldn't bear to look away. He loved the way her eyes looked, big and sad and innocent. He loved the way her body curved underneath his arms. He couldn't help but notice how snuggly her tank top fit her small frame, or how short her shorts were. He couldn't avoid looking at the two inches of skin that showed between the end of her tank top and the beginning of her shorts. He couldn't help but lean down and kiss her.


	2. Chapter 3 & 4

Title: The Hardest Thing

Summery: After a night of passion, Manny finds herself harboring an enormous secret that could destroy her friendship with Emma.

Authors Note: I'm sorry if the characters seem OOC, but if you'll just bear with me for a couple of chapters, I promise they will adjust. And I'm sorry if the writing is a little crappy at first, I promise it gets better. Takes place...after what it feels like to be a ghost I guess. I didn't realize how short the chapters were when I wrote them, cuz I wrote it all in the same document. So I'm going to do two chapters at a time.

Oh, and when I wrote (chapter 6, I think) breaking all of the rules, I used the love scene here for that one, but it actually belongs in this story, because I wrote this months ago.

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Chapter 3  
That Night

She didn't jump at his kiss, or pull away. It was like she had wanted it, too. She didn't resist it at all, she just melted into him, kissing him more passionately. He kissed her deeply, slowly at first. But it was like someone had stuck a lighted match into a bottle of gasoline and their passion just exploded. They couldn't keep their hands off each other. She was running her hands across the back of his neck, and down to the waistband of his jeans. She ran her hands back up to his chest, tracing the outline of his muscles. He loved her touch, tender and eager but somehow teasing at the same time. He had wondered for a long time what it felt like to be touched by her, and now he knew. Now he didn't ever want her to stop. He ran his hands along her shoulders, taking in the smoothness of her skin, the softness of her hair, the shape of her body. He ran his hands down to her legs and back up again, feeling her breasts momentarily, not wanting to offend her and not wanting the kisses to end. She pressed her body against his, until there was no space between them. His touch made her feel alive. She had never had somebody touch her as lovingly as he did. It made her quiver. He ran his hands back down to her legs and lifted her up to sit on the edge of the counter in front of the sink. He couldn't stop touching her. He just kept moving his hands back and forth, feeling the skin between her tank-top and shorts, sliding one hand up the back of her top, placing the other on the back of her head.

She pulled away finally, leaving him out of breath. "We can't do this here," she whispered hungrily.

He didn't want to let her go long enough to get down stairs. But he watched her slide off the counter and on to the floor, he watched the way her body moved as she led him downstairs. When they reached the bottom, he reached out and turned her around before he could stop himself. he kissed her again, deeper than before. He ran his hands down her body, lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him, running her fingers through his hair as he carried her to her bed. He laid her down on it and pulled his shirt over his head. He tossed it aside and bent down to kiss her. She sat up and kissed his chest, his stomach and back up again, kissing his neck and his lips. He slid his hands underneath her tank top and peeled it off. He loved the way her skin looked in the moonlight. He kissed her neck and her chest and ran his hands down the sides of her legs.

"Is it okay?" he asked her anxiously.

"Definitely," she said, pulling him down on top of her.

"I wish you could stay down here with me," she said dreamily after they had finished. She watched him pull his boxers back on.

"I can," he said, "I'll just set the alarm clock for five-thirty and be back upstairs before anybody comes down." 

She sat up and pulled her clothes back on. "Lock the door, then," she asked. "Just in case."

He ran up the stairs and locked the door. He climbed in next to her and she curled up in his arms. She loved the way it felt to be held by him. She would have stayed there forever.

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Chapter 4  
The Morning After

The alarm clock woke her up at five-thirty the next morning. She rolled over and smiled at Sean, who was just waking up. Then the reality sank in, and she jumped out of bed. "Oh my god," she said. "Oh no. Oh my god," she repeated over and over.

"What?" Sean sat up. "What's wrong?"

"I cannot believe I did this to my_ best friend_," she ran her hands through her hair like she wanted to pull it out. "This is going to break her heart." Her eyes clouded over with tears, she started feeling sick.

The guilt began to sink in to Sean, as well, and a knot began to form in his stomach. "You can't tell anybody about this," he said, standing and going to her.

She nodded, wiping tears from her face. "I'm sorry...I..."

"Sh," Sean brought a fingertip to her lips, "it's okay. I'm sorry. I should have stopped."

She pulled away from him. "Lets just not talk about it okay?"

Sean cleared his throat, "I should go," he said.

"Yeah," Manny said, dropping down onto the bed.

He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on. He grabbed his T-shirt, and then stopped. "Are you okay?" he asked Manny, who was sitting on her bed with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked shattered, heartbroken, as if she had found out that her best friend had slept with her boyfriend.

She nodded, not saying anything.

"You sure?" He asked, lingering in front of her bed.

She nodded again and looked at him. her eyes were red and puffy, the tip of her nose was flushed. She pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I'm fine. Can you please leave?" she asked, her voice cracking.

He looked a little hurt, but he nodded his head and turned to go up the stairs. Once she heard the door shut, Manny curled up in her bed, trying not to cry. One of the best nights of her life had to be followed by one of the guiltiest mornings. It isn't fair, she thought, there had been so much passion. Had it only been lust? Or was there something deeper? It doesn't matter now, she thought miserably, because he's Emma's boyfriend not mine.

Sean plopped down on the couch, putting his head in his hands. How did this happen? he asked himself. He'd never actually planned to make a move on Manny. But he made more than a move. He made love to her. He jeopardized his relationship with Emma, but more importantly he'd jeopardized Manny's friendship with Emma. He sighed and sat back on the couch. But what's worse, he remembered, is that in the heat of the moment, he'd forgotten to wear a condom.

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**A/N: So, love it? Hate it? Let me know because I've got at least four more chapters written, but I wont post until I get those reviews...:)**


	3. Chapter 5 & 6

Title: The Hardest Thing

Summery: After a night of passion, Manny finds herself harboring an enormous secret that could destroy her friendship with Emma.

Authors Note: I'm sorry if the characters seem OOC, but if you'll just bear with me for a couple of chapters, I promise they will adjust. And I'm sorry if the writing is a little crappy at first, I promise it gets better. Takes place...after what it feels like to be a ghost I guess. I didn't realize how short the chapters were when I wrote them, cuz I wrote it all in the same document. So I'm going to do two chapters at a time.

Oh, and when I wrote (chapter 6, I think) breaking all of the rules, I used the love scene here for that one, but it actually belongs in this story, because I wrote this months ago.

* * *

Chapter 5

Falling Apart

Manny did _not_ want to drag herself out of bed when it came time to get ready for school. She hadn't slept since Sean had left, but she didn't want to face anybody. She was afraid that if anybody looked at her, they would see what a horrible, backstabbing loser of a friend she was. She tried to tell herself that it was just a mistake that it was just one kiss that went to far. But it didn't help. She had liked him. She had _wanted_ him. And that made everything worse.

She heard the door at the top of the steps open and she heard soft footsteps come down.

"Manny, honey," Spike asked, sitting next to her on the bed. "Are you okay?"

"No," Manny said, keeping her back to Spike. "I think I'm sick."

Spike felt of Manny's forehead, "You don't feel warm."

"I think it's a stomach thing," Manny said, rolling over to face her.

"Okay," Spike said. "I guess you can stay home today. I'll have Snake bring your assignments home."

"Thanks," Manny said, hugging her pillow.

Spike stopped at the bottom of the stairs and eyed the girl. She knew that look. It was regret, shame. She just wondered what had happened to break her heart so badly.

Manny didn't get out of bed for most of the day. She knew she had to maintain, but she just _couldn't_ do it today. She slept for a couple more hours, and woke up around noon. She didn't bother to move though. She felt incredibly guilty, but what made it worse, is that she wanted to be with him again. She wanted to feel him console her again. Feeling like that about him made her feel like scum.

Sean sat in the break room at the garage, his bagged lunch in front of him. He couldn't eat anything, he still couldn't get the knot in the bottom of his stomach to go away. He couldn't shake the guilt, and he couldn't get the image of Manny's swollen eyes, and red nose, and the broken hearted look on her face out of his mind. He felt like he had _ruined_ her, like he had given her this horrible guilt trip to live with.

"Hey, man, what's going on?" Jay asked, interrupting his thoughts. He sat down at the table across from him.

"Nothing," Sean said, opening his can of soda.

"You okay?" He asked, taking a huge bite out of his sandwich.

"I'm fine," he said, looking away.

Jay looked at him, wondering if what was wrong with him today had anything to do with what they had talked about last night. But he didn't ask, because whatever it was, Sean obviously didn't want to talk about it.

Manny sat up in her bed and pushed her hair behind her ears. She had to get up, she had to pull herself together. She took a deep breath and stood up. She went to the bathroom and started the shower, hoping the hot water would melt her problems away. As she got in, her mind drifted to what had happened the night before. At the time, everything had felt right. It had felt like they belonged together. She wished that she didn't feel guilty, that she could just keep being with him without feeling like it was wrong. Last night, not one thought of Emma had crossed her mind, and today, Emma was all she could think about.

She got out of the shower and dried her hair, pulling it back in a ponytail. She splashed water on her face, and put her hands on the sink to steady herself. "Pull it together, Santos," she said aloud. "Just pull it together."

She put on a track suit and her tennis shoes. She needed to run. She needed to feel like she could get away. She put her headset on and turned on her Linkin Park CD. She took off running down the street. She ran as fast as she could, pushing herself to go faster. The whole time, flashbacks of Sean making love to her littered her mind. When she stopped she was in tears. She couldn't handle this. She couldn't share a room with Emma, live in her house, knowing that she had betrayed her in the worst way imaginable.

Chapter 6

The bad gets worse

The next couple of weeks living with Emma was torture for both Sean and Manny. It broke Manny's heart to see Emma walking around without a clue, and Sean couldn't stand to see the pain in Manny's eyes. He hated to think about what would happen if Emma found out. She'd be devastated. He would lose her, and he couldn't stand the thought of that. He loved Emma, with all of his heart. But with Manny, he'd felt alive. Something that hadn't happened to him in a long time.

Manny's worst fears came to life when she prayed for her period every day and it never came. She didn't want to believe it, she wanted it to go away. There was no way she could get another abortion, the last one had torn her apart and she _still_ regretted doing it.

She sat in the bathroom, the pregnancy test lay on the sink. She waited for the timer to go off, and it seemed to take hours. When it finally did go off, she couldn't get the courage to look at it. She closed her eyes and picked up the test. When she opened them, the stick was pink. She dropped it into the trash. She didn't know what to do. Her hands started to shake, and the room started to spin. She clutched her stomach.

"Manny?" she heard Emma call. "Manny, are you down here?"

"I'm in here," she said, throwing the box into the trashcan. She opened the door and walked out. Her legs felt wobbly underneath her.

"You okay?" she asked. "You look really pale."

"I'm fine," Manny said, clearing her throat.

Emma eyed her suspiciously. "Well, I told Liberty I'd meet her at the Dot," she said. "I wanted to know if you wanted to come."

"No thanks," she said, shaking her head. "Tell Liberty I said hi."

"Okay," Emma said, turning to go back upstairs.

Manny sank onto the bed. She had to tell Sean. Sean would know what to do, he could help her get through this. But she had to wait for everyone to go to bed before she could talk to him.

She took her math book upstairs and sat down at the table with it. Spike and Snake were watching a cartoon with baby Jack, and they seemed to take forever. Manny looked down at her watch, waiting for the time to pass.

When they finally did go to bed, Manny waited a couple of minutes before going into the living room with Sean.

"Can we talk?" she asked, sitting down on the couch.

"Yeah," he said, turning to her. He started to worry. Manny had barely talked to him since they'd had sex.

"It's about, that night," she said, lowering her voice.

"Yeah," he said again, the panic starting to rise. "Whats wrong? Manny, are you okay?"

She took a deep breath. "No," she said around the lump in her throat. "I'm pregnant."

Sean's heart stopped. "What?" he asked.

She nodded, not wanting to repeat it again. "What am I going to do?" she asked desperately.

"_We_," Sean said. " 'What are _we_ going to do'. We're in this together."


	4. Chapter 7 & 8

Title: The Hardest _Thing_

Summery: After a night of passion, Manny finds herself harboring an enormous secret that could destroy her friendship with Emma.

Authors Note: I'm sorry if the characters seem OOC, but if you'll just bear with me for a couple of chapters, I promise they will adjust. And I'm sorry if the writing is a little crappy at first, I promise it gets better. Takes place...after what it feels like to be a ghost I guess. I didn't realize how short the chapters were when I wrote them, cuz I wrote it all in the same document. So I'm going to do two chapters at a time.

* * *

Chapter 7

Secrets and Lies

Manny didn't know what to do. She knew she had to tell everyone. She couldn't hide it. She dreaded telling Emma. She'd already decided that she wouldn't tell _anyone_ who the father was. No matter what, she would not hurt her friend that way. She wished things were different. She wished that for just once she would be in a relationship where she wouldn't have to sneak around. Where she wasn't the 'other woman', the homewrecker.

She didn't have to tell Emma, though, because the next day Emma came out with the pregnancy test in her hand. "What's going on?" She asked her friend. Emma looked concerned.

Manny froze. She closed her eyes, hoping that the test would go away when she opened them But it didn't. "I screwed up. Again."

"Who's the father?" Emma asked, putting the test back in the trash and sitting next to Manny on the bed.

Manny shook her head. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Emma asked. "How can you not know?"

Manny hated the slutty image she was painting of herself. But it was for the best. It was for Sean. "I was drunk. I don't remember much."

"We need to tell Mom," Emma said.

Manny sighed. "I can move out," she said. "I don't want to impose on you guys. Especially with a baby."

Emma smiled. "You're not imposing."

Manny sighed, half relieved and half guilty. "It'd be embarassing to tell your Mom."

"Then I'll tell her," she said. "I'll be right back."

"Emma, don't..." Manny started to say. But Emma had already topped the stairs.

Manny curled up on the bed, wanting so much to be somewhere else. To be _someone_ else. She wanted to be Emma, so she could be with Sean witthout feeling guilty.

Manny heard Emma and Spike come downstairs, and she wanted to sink into her bed and through the floor.

"Are you okay?" Spike asked gently.

Manny nodded. "I'm fine."

"You know you can stay here as long as you want to," she continued. "We'd rather have you living here and finishing school than struggling on your own."

"Thank you," Manny said. She wondered if they would feel the same if they knew it was Sean's baby.

"Are you going to tell the father?"

"I don't know how to find him," Manny said, again, hating that she had to portray herself like this.

"It'll be okay," Spike said. "I promise."

Sean worked on the transmission for the Neon that had been towed in earlier. His mind was racing. He was going to be a dad. The thought excited him, and devastated him. He couldn't be involved with the baby without telling Emma that he'd had sex with Manny. As much as he hated the thought of losing Emma, he hated the thought of Manny losing her more. He didn't regret a thing, though. He'd loved the way it felt to be with Manny, physically and emotionally.

"You almost done?" Tony asked, coming up behind him to check out his work.

"Just about," Sean said.

"Good job," he said and then walked away.

Jay came up to him next, wriping his hands on a grey rag. "You ever score with Manny?" he asked.

"What?" Sean jumped, answering a little too quickly.

"Guess that's a yes," Jay had a cocky smirk on his face.

"That's a no," Sean said. "I wouldn't do that to Emma."

"Sure you wouldn't," Jay said.

Manny spotted Liberty in the hallway. She hurried to catch up to her, remembering that she'd had a hard time dealing with Mia and JT lately.

"Hey Liberty," Manny said, "how are you?"

"I'm good," Liberty said.

Manny couldn't help but notice that her friend seemed happier than Emma had made her out to be. "Are you sure? I heard you've been having a hard time lately."

Liberty laughed. "I'm positive. Where did you hear that?"

"Well...Emma says that she's been at your house alot, because you've been upset."

Liberty looked confused. "Emma hasn't been to my house in months."

Anger raged through Manny's body, and she raced to find Emma, leaving Liberty standing in the hallway. What the hell had Emma been doing? Manny asked herself. She caught up to Emma and pulled her into an empty clasroom.

"What's going on?" Emma asked, "We're going to be late."

"Where have you been?" Manny asked. "Liberty said she hasn't seen you in months."

Emma bit her lip and looked down. "I've been with Peter."

"What?" Manny exclaimed, rage taking over. She'd been through all of this guilt, all of this stress that could hurt her baby, while Emma was off cheating with Peter?

"I didn't know how to tell Sean. He doesn't have anywhere else to stay. If we broke up he'd leave," Emma said in a jumble of words.

Manny didn't even bother to look at her friend as she left the classroom. She couldn't believe this. She was so pissed. Emma had been cheating on Sean with Peter, while she and Sean had been so concerned about Emma finding out about their one night stand.

Manny ran from the building. She didn't care about her classes. She had to get to Sean. She had to talk to him.

Chapter 8

Giving In

Sean saw Manny approaching the garage and went to meet her. She looked so upset. Tears lined the underneath of her eyes, the wind blew her hair in her face. "What's wrong?" He asked frantically, worried about the baby. "What happened?"

"I need to talk to you," Manny said. "Can we go somewhere?"

"Sure," he said. He had finished working on the Neon already, and there weren't any other cars that needed to be worked on. "Just let me tell Tony."

Manny leaned against the wall outside as Sean went in to talk to his boss. She wasn't going to tell him about Emma and Peter. She should, but she couldn't. It would hurt Sean and she didn't want to hurt him.

"Okay," Sean said, leading Manny to his car. "Lets go somewhere."

"Home," she said simply.

Sean started the car and drove in that direction. He was confused. He knew no one would be home. Was that the point? He wondered. "Is the baby okay?" Sean asked finally. The silence was driving her nuts.

"Yeah," Manny said. "I just wanted to be around you."

Sean stared ahead, knowing there was something she wasn't telling him. He was surprised when Manny led him down to the basement. She sat down on her bed and waited for him to join her.

"What's this about?" Sean asked as he sat down on the bed.

"I need you," she said, moving closer to him. She nuzzled his ear and moved one of her legs over his.

He opened his mouth to protest but she kissed him and he melted into it. He loved her kisses. He felt her body again, loving its texture and shape. He kissed her neck and back up to her mouth. Manny pulled away gently and peeled off her shirt, before jerking his over his head.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. "What about Emma?"

"Fuck Emma," Manny said, kissing him more passionately. She pushed him down on the bed and fumbled with the button to his jeans.

He wondered what the hell was going on, but by this point, he didn't care. He was too far gone. He unbuttoned Manny's jeans and she pulled the off for him. She climbed on top of him, kissing him everywhere and making love to him. He couldn't believe how freely she was acting. She didn't care about how this would hurt Emma at all. But right now, in this moment with Manny showing all of her hot-ness, he couldn't find the desire to care.

He put his arms around Manny's back and cradled her as he rolled over, laying her on the bed. He kissed her again, running his hands all over her beautiful tanned body. He moved slowly, enjoying every moment.

Manny loved the look in his eyes. The hungry, lustful look that made her feel like he wanted her. He did want her. And she wanted him, and she wasn't going to let some pathetic guilt trip from Emma ruin this. She became wrapped up in his kisses, in his steady movements, in the look in his eyes. She moaned and pulled him closer, kissing him harder and completely letting herself give into this tempting betrayal.

They lay next to each other on the bed when they had both finished. He played with strands of her hair, ran his fingers across her bare skin.

"Why won't you tell me what you're upset about?" he asked softly.

Manny rolled over and burried her head in his chest. "It's not important," she told him. "I love being here with you."

He kissed the top of her head. "So do I," he said.


	5. Chapter 9

AUTHORS NOTE: SORRY I'VE BEEN ABSENT FROM . I'VE BEEN TRYING TO SELL SOME ORIGINAL STORIES AND IT ISN'T GOING SO WELL. SO I'VE COME BACK 'HOME' IN HOPES THAT I STILL HAVE READERS OUT THERE WHO LOVE ME AND WHAT I WRITE ABOUT. I'M FEELING CREATIVELY DRAINED, SO I'M ON A MISSION TO FALL IN LOVE WITH WRITING AGAIN. WISH ME LUCK, AND PROMISE TO BUY MY BOOKS WHEN THEY COME OUT? THEY JUST HAVE TO SELL. EVENTUALLY....RIGHT?

CHAPTER NINE

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Manny sat up in bed, clutching her stomach. Just looking at Sean, laying naked next to her, made her feel disgusted at herself again. How could she judge Emma for cheating on Sean, when they had done the very same thing?

He sat up and rubbed a hand across her bare back. "We still haven't talked about what we're going to do."

She shrugged away from him and pulled her shirt from the crumpled pile on the floor. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we're not really just going to keep everything a secret, are we?" He gazed at her, his green eyes inquisitive. "Eventually, we have to tell Emma that I'm the father."

Manny tugged her jeans up and wrestled with the button. They were already too small for her. "I don't think I can do that."

"Manny, we have to."

"Why? What's the point? It's not like we're this happy 'and-baby-makes-three' type of couple." Her voice cracked. "We're not even a couple."

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again and stared at her. Shaking his head, he reached past her and grabbed his jeans. "I'm not going to be a deadbeat dad. Emma has to know, and you have to accept that."

Manny whirled around and grabbed Sean by his shoulders. Desperation made her dig her fingernails into his skin. "You ccan't tell her. I know you weren't around to see wrecksyville Emma Nelson, but I was. And I can't watch her go through something like that again."

"Shit happens. Sometimes people get hurt. She has to learn to deal with her pain, and you can't keep tiptoeing around, hoping to prevent a meltdown."

She grabbed her hair in frustration. "It's not that simple, Sean."

He gave a half-laugh. "It is simple. I want to be in my child's life—"

"I'm not even sure I'm having the baby!" She clamped her mouth shut, immediately regretting her outburst.

The muscles in his jaw twitched, and his hand curled into a fist as his misty green eyes hardened. "You said you didn't want to go through another abortion."

"Well, the option is looking more and more appealing."

He turned his back on her, raking a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I'm hearing this." He spun back around to face her with his hands on his hips. "Tell me you're just venting because your scared. You're not actually considering—"

"A legal medical procedure—"

"Murder!"

"Dammit, Sean! Of all the times for you to jump on your high horse."

"I have tried to be understanding about this, and I've tried to give you the time you need, but there's only so much I can take, Manny."

"I have a right to end this if I want to."

"What about my rights?" He glared at her, one of this skin-scorching Sean Cameron glares.

"You're not the one who has to give birth, the one who gets called slut and Manstealer. And it's not like we'd even be raising the baby together. What exactly do you plan on doing, Sean? Letting the baby sleep upstairs on the couch with you on weekends, and down here between me and Emma on weeknights? You're not thinking!"

He started walking towards her. "I'll take care of you. Of both of you. I've got enough money saved up for my own place. We'll tell Emma about us, and then we'll—"

"There is no 'us.'" She pushed him back. "And there never will be."

It flashed across his face again, the anger and the pain. He grabbed his shirt off the floor, eyeing her with disgust. "You just can't make up your mind, can you?"

"And it's so easy for you, isn't it?" She called after him as he ran up the stairs. "To walk away from Emma after everything she's done for both of us?"

She heard his steps halt at the top of the stairs, but only for a second before the door slammed shut behind him.

Manny wanted to pull her hair out by the roots, and then use it to strangle herself. That's what she deserved. For being such a lousy friend. For rejecting Sean so coldly. But it was all to hide the bigger truth, the one she couldn't let anyone know.

She just wasn't the 'mothering' type.

Sean pulled his car to a squealing stop in front of Jay's trailer. Jay was outside, working underneath the hood of his Honda. His head shot up when Sean pulled in, and he banged it on the hood.

Rubbing the crown of his head, Jay squinted against the sunlight. "What's gotten into you?"

Sean slammed his car door shut, then kicked at his tires. It did nothing to alleviate his frustration, and he found himself kicking it again and again. And again.

"Whoa, whoa." Jay walked over to the cooler and pulled out two bottles of beer. He tossed one to Sean, who ripped the cap off and guzzled it.

"Now are you going to tell me what's up?" Jay asked.

"Nothing is going right, man." Sean titled his head back and gulped down the rest of the bottle. "Everything's a mess."

Jay pushed Sean into a chair. "Stop being vague."

Sean hurled the beer bottle through the air and watched it shatter against the pavement. Broken pieces of the brown glass glittered in the sunlight, and reminded him of Manny's eyes. Then it reminded him how much Emma would lecture him for littering.

He rubbed his hands across his face and groaned. "Manny's pregnant."

"Dude, no way." He sank to sit next to Sean and offered him another beer.

"If I tell Emma, it ruins their friendship. If I don't tell Emma, Manny's going to get an abortion."

"Well, there you go, that solves all your problems. Don't look at me like that. Like the thought didn't cross your mind."

"You don't get it." Sean stood up and began to pace. "I heard my parents fighting one night, right after I got in trouble with the law the first time. My dad was yelling about how if Mom had gotten the abortion like he wanted her to, they wouldn't be in this mess. If she'd have listened to him, I wouldn't be here right now. I can't let her do it."

"Buddy, you might not have a choice." Jay abandoned his usual sarcasm for a gentle tone. "They don't need your signature for the procedure."

Sean felt tears coming on, and he tried to will them away.

"Your only chance is to talk to Manny. She's probably just running scared. Maybe you can get through to her."

"I doubt it," Sean grumbled. He plopped down into the chair and buried his head in his hands. "I called her a murderer."

Jay let out a booming laugh. "Nice going, slick."

Between seven and eight p.m., Sean called Manny's phone ten times. She ignored the first five, and then finally turned her phone off. She couldn't deal with his drama right now, not with Emma giving her the silent treatment and baby number 2 doing a violent dance in her stomach.

She spent another sleepless night, tossing and turning in bed. Around four, she finally gave up and got dressed. Leaving the house, she passed time by walking through the park, looking around at the jungle gyms and the slides.

She could imagine bringing her baby here, with Sean. He'd make a good father, she had no doubt. But that kind of future was out of the question for them. Around seven o'clock, she called the Women's Clinic and made an appointment.

She knew what she had to do. She just hoped she'd have the strength to actually go through with a second abortion.


	6. Chapter 10FIXED

AUTHOR'S NOTE: FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO RESPONDED TO THIS ON THIS SITE AND ON YOUTUBE (THERE'S A TRAILER POSTED, OPEN YOUTUBE AND SEARCH FOR ME --IWANNABREAL--AND CHECK IT OUT) NOW, THE SHOW MUST GO ON…

CHAPTER TEN

* * *

Manny felt her baby move.

It was crazy, she knew. Insane, even. She was only a month and a half along, at best. And still, she felt her baby—Sean's baby—move. It was a small flutter, a flap of butterfly wings, buried somewhere deep inside the trash that made Manny Santos.

If she allowed it to, that small flutter would grow into a full-blown kick. And then labor pains. And then a baby—a cute, pudgy cheeked baby with Manny's complexion and Sean's eyes. She was a little taken back, when she realized how pretty his emerald shaded eyes would look against her bronze tone.

_Stop being crazy_. She shook her head, shaking herself out of the trance-like and eerily maternal state the small flutter had shifted her into. _You can't have your best-friend's boyfriend's baby_.

_No matter how much you want to sink into those beautiful eyes…. _

Manny gripped her head and groaned in frustration. Could nothing get Sean off her mind?

"Ah-hem."

At the sound of Ms. Kwan clearing her throat, Manny looked up. Her classmates peered back at her, some of them looking confused, others snickering, and some looked at her like she was crazy.

She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Sorry," she mumbled. She shifted down in her seat and stared at her textbook for the rest of the hour.

* * *

The next morning, Sean was too hung-over to go to work. Great way to prove his capability to Manny, he thought. He rolled off the couch, downed a glass of water and four Tylenol for the hangover, then he headed out to find a newspaper.

He'd get a place, set it up for Manny, and show her that he could handle this. But then…what about Emma?

The tug of war between the two had more than grown tiresome. And still, he didn't know what to do.

Manny managed to avoid Emma until the end of the school day, when Manny just couldn't carry all of her textbooks around anymore and broke down and finally visited her locker.

Emma had just slammed her locker shut and was on her way to leave when a too-tall freshman rammed into Manny and knocked her off her feet. Manny fell, landing flat on her back. Her books flew in the air, scattering like mice around her.

She shrieked in surprise. Grumbling to herself, she sat on her knees and began to pick up the books, one by one.

She let out a heavy sigh as she turned to look for the rest of her textbooks, and found Emma standing in front of her, offering her the books.

Manny stood to her feet and took the book from Emma. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Emma turned toward the front door, never taking her eyes off Manny, and left.

In the two seconds she had seen Emma, she had almost blurted out 'I slept with your boyfriend' five times. How could she keep a secret like this from Emma for long?

* * *

Emma bent down and climbed into Peter's car, but kept her fingers tightly wrapped around the door handle.

"There's my gorgeous super model." Peter laughed and slid his hand through her hair, tugging gently so he could kiss her. She pulled against him though, leaving him confused. "What's going on?"

She wouldn't look at him, couldn't look at him. "Manny found out about us and went all judgmental."

"We knew people were going to find out eventually. What's the big deal?"

She looked at him, as if to say 'did you really just ask me that?'

"It's Sean, isn't it?" He sighed and slumped against the seat. "It's always Sean."

"I can't just walk away from him."

"It's not like you're married to the guy."

"Close enough, he lives with me."

"And yet, here you are, in my car for yet another rendezvous. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

She scowled at him. "It tells me what a horrible person I am."

"You're not horrible." He rolled his eyes. "And if that's how Sean is making you feel—"

"No, it's not Sean. He'd never do anything to hurt me."

"Neither would I." Peter turned to her, cupping her face in his hands. "Don't give up on us. Not again."

She blinked back tears and leaned forward to kiss him. It was slow, and somehow, quick at the same time. Bitter and sweet. She pulled back from him, tugging on the door handle. "I'm sorry, Peter. I just can't do this anymore."

"Emma, wait." When she slammed the door in his face, he jumped out of the car and ran after her. "Emma!"

She kept walking, quick painful step after quick painful step, and ignored him. She struggled not to cry, and winced every time he called her name. Finally, she made it into her house and shut the door behind her. Even then, he banged his fists against it, knowing she was the only one home. "Emma, come on, please!"

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to close her heart to him.

"Emma, you don't have to choose," Peter said. "I can handle it. You don't have to…" He trailed off in a helpless whimper.

She broke down crying then, and crumpled in a sobbing pile against the door. Outside, Peter called for her, begged her not to walk away from him. Everything inside her wanted to yank the door open, smother him with kisses and affection and kick Sean to the curb.

But it was easy to think about a life without Sean. It was another thing entirely, to live without him.

* * *

"Just close your eyes and indulge me for one second," Sean said to Manny as he parallel-parked his car by the curb.

"I knew this was a bad idea," she muttered to herself. She closed her eyes anyway. "I hate surprises."

"Since when?"

"Since the last one decided to turn my stomach into constant nausea hell."

Sean sighed, and walked around the car to pull Manny's door open. He took her hand and pulled her out, then led her up the sidewalk to the apartment he'd rented. It was a two-bedroom, with a washer and a dryer and it came with a couch, a bed and a kitchen table. It'd been a find almost too good to be true, and he took it to be fate.

This family was meant to work out, he could feel it.

He slid the key into the lock, pushed the door open, then guided Manny inside. "Okay, now, open."

Her mouth fell open in shock. One hand flew to cover her lips, the other rested on her belly and he wasn't even sure she was aware of that. "Sean," she said slowly. "Sean, what is this?"

"This is our place. My place, I mean." He slid to stand in front of her. "At least look at it before you make any major decision."

She let him lead her around the apartment, and pretended to be annoyed. But deep down, she could picture it. The crib could go beneath the window, and she'd definitely move the table to the other side of the kitchen. Sean would come home from the garage and strip out of his greasy coveralls, which would go directly in the washer.

She'd make supper too, a family dinner every night…

Suddenly, she felt suffocated. Overwhelmed with responsibility. How could he do this to her? How could he tempt her with a life that didn't belong to her? A life that belonged to Emma…

She turned around and burst through the screen door. She inhaled a deep breath of fresh air, and felt it immediately calm her.

"Manny, come on, give this a chance."

She stared at him, feeling weak and helpless and weepy. "Why are you doing this to me?"

She didn't even wait for him to answer, she just turned around and left on foot, while he gawked after her, dumbfounded.


	7. Chapter 11

**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Do you love reading my stories? Would you like to read some of my original work? Now you can!**

**I've started a website to try to build a 'fan base' for my writing. I'm doing something a little different with it. I'm posting an ongoing drama series, (written, of course). A new episode will be posted every Thursday. The first episode is up and running, and so is the comment box! (finally!)**

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**Here's a quick overview of the drama series, FROM THE DAMAGE.**

**Eight unique teenagers, with eight unique situations, clash when they are all sent to the Discover-U Center's group therapy program. Daphne, their compassionate young counselor, struggles to help them come to terms with the events that shattered their lives. But, like with any social situation, bonds form, attractions grow and tensions fly. Will Daphne be able to help these jaded teens before their despair consumes them?**

**It's told in rotating points of view, the eight group therapy patients and the counselor. Everybody gets a voice. If you're interested, please check it out. And if you're not sure, go to the website and check out the 'meet the characters' page, where everyone gets a brief introduction and a little clue about the secrets that brought them to the Discover-U Center.**

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**Thanks, guys! Because you're so awesome, here's an extra juicy, extra dramatic, little taste of what I can do with a little bit of time, a couple words, and some inspiration:**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Eleven**

Sean stuffed the last of his clothes into his canvas bag. When he heard the door open, his back went stiff. He could tell by the soft, light footsteps that Emma was home, without Manny.

"What's going on?"

He turned to see Emma in the doorway. He faked a broad, excited smile, while inside his heart pounded with guilt and fear. "Hey. Guess what? I found an apartment."

"Really?" She moved forward a couple of steps. "So soon?"

"Well, it's not that soon." He zipped up the bag. "We all knew I was going to eventually."

"Yeah, I know." She slid her hands into her pockets. "It's just so out of the blue. You don't even have furniture."

"It was furnished."

"Oh." She nodded, but he could sense something less than excited about her response. "You have it all figured out, don't you?"

_If only_, he thought. Instead of saying that, he nodded and shrugged. "I guess so."

A thin smile cracked her face, every bit as forced as his own.

"Emma, what's going on?" He dropped a hand to her shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Her eyes drifted somewhere far away. "I just…I wasn't expecting this when I came home today."

"Hey." He tilted her chin up and gave her a real smile. A lump rose in his throat, making simple speech almost impossible. "This doesn't change anything between us. You'll see me all of the time. It'll be like I never left."

She kissed him, a soft, sweet kiss that somehow reminded him of the chocolate chip cookies his grandmother used to bake.

The air felt thick, and the longer he stayed within Emma's sight, the harder it was to breathe. He'd cheated on her, knocked up her best friend. And worse than that, he just wasn't as in love with her as he used to be. The shame weighed heavy on his shoulders, on his heart.

He didn't deserve her.

"Where have you been, anyway?" He turned back to pack his clothes, then found that they were already packed up. He nervously looked down at his hands, needing something to keep them busy. He stuffed them in his pockets and played with the fraying seams.

"Avoiding Manny. She's actually going to get another abortion, can you believe that? I found the appointment card on her nightstand." She rolled her eyes and added with fake cheer: "As of twelve o'clock tomorrow, she'll be a serial killer."

He felt his stomach tighten and the food he'd eaten earlier threatened to resurface. She was actually going through with it? For sure? He had to talk to her. He had to talk her out of this.

"So, when do I get to see this fabulous new place of yours, anyway?"

"Just as soon as I'm done moving in." Clearing his throat, he stepped back and swooped up his bag. "I should go. There's still a lot to do."

He planted a kiss on the top of her head, then left. He climbed inside his car and started toward his new apartment, using his cell phone to dial Manny's number.

It rang four times before her voice came through the speaker. "Hey—"

"Manny!" He shifted in his seat, completely surprised she'd picked up. "Manny, listen—"

"—this is Manny, I can't come to the phone. You know the drill."

His heart sank and he bit his lip to keep it from trembling. He stabbed the hang up button and tossed the phone onto the seat.

He cranked up the stereo, and Slipknot's Snuff blast through the car.

The song started off slowly, just a few strummed cords. He felt the song fill him, starting from his gut and then spreading throughout every limb. He remembered how much he loved hunching down in his hoodie, with a pair of headphones, and slipping into a different world. A better world, where artistic expression had free reign.

He was more than lost in the music when the haunting lyrics started.

Bury all your secrets in my skin

Come away with innocence and leave me with my sins

The air around me still feels like a cage

And love is just a camouflage for what resembles rage again

So if you love me let me go

And run away before I know

My heart is just too dark to care

I can't destroy what isn't there

Deliver me into my fate

If I'm alone I cannot hate

I don't deserve to have you

Ooh, my smile was taken long ago

If I can change I hope I never know

I still press your letters to my lips

And cherish them in parts of me that savor every kiss

I couldn't face a life without your lights

But all of that was ripped apart when you refused to fight

Sean started to feel restless, as the song eerily resembled his mixed feelings about Manny. He glanced over at his cell phone, then grabbed it up and dialed her number again. The irritation grew when he reached her voice mail, not once, but three more times. He threw the phone down again and cranked the radio louder.

So save your breath, I will not care

I think I made it very clear

You couldn't hate enough to love

Is that supposed to be enough?

I only wish you weren't my friend

Then I could hurt you in the end

I never claimed to be a saint

Ooh, my own was banished long ago

It took the death of hope to let you go

So break yourself against my stones

And spit your pity in my soul

You never needed any help

You sold me out to save yourself

He picked up his phone again, and dialed again, and reached her voicemail again. By now, his anger against her vibrated throughout his entire body. So, when her voicemail picked up, he held the phone up to the speaker.

And I wont listen to your shame.

You ran away, you're all the same

Angels lie to keep control

My love was punished long ago,

If you still care, don't ever let me know

* * *

Manny was relieved, and somewhat disappointed when the phone calls from Sean ended after the voice-mail he'd left. She hadn't had the guts to listen to it yet. If she heard his voice, she might change her mind.

Finally gathering her nerve, she dialed her voicemail and entered her pin number. She was shocked when, instead of Sean's voice, the lyrics said what he couldn't: And I wont listen to your shame.

You ran away, you're all the same

Angels lie to keep control

My love was punished long ago,

If you still care, don't ever let me know

The tears filled her eyes, spilled over and ran down her cheeks like little rivers. She hurled the phone against the wall, and watched with pleasure as it busted to pieces.

She buried her face in her pillow, crying and crying and crying.

* * *

Jay burst into hysterical laughter when Sean spilled his guts about everything: the abortion appointment, the ignored phone calls, the hateful voice mail.

"Why are you laughing?" Sean grimaced down into his paper cup of coffee. He'd been at the Dot since it opened that morning, because he hadn't slept all night and of all the things he forgot to buy for his new place, a coffee maker had to be one of them. "This isn't funny."

"It's a little funny."

Sean shot him a glare.

"What? It is. You're being too much of a chicken to admit how you really feel, and now the girl of your dreams is going to kill your lovechild in about…" he looked down at his watch. "Twenty minutes."

"Thanks for the synopsis. Do you have any advice to go along with that?"

"Seems to me like you have two options. You can stay here and," he motioned to the dozen or more empty paper cups lined up along the table. "caffeinate yourself to death. Or you can suck it up and _go stop her_."

The thought hadn't even occurred to him. He jumped up, knocking his chair onto it's back. While Jay laughed again, he set it up and darted toward the front door.

"Hey buddy!" Jay called, standing up from the table.

"Yeah?" Sean turned impatiently, with his hand on the doorknob.

"You'll need these." He tossed him his keys and Sean caught them with one hand.

"Thanks, man." Sean ran out the door, letting it bang shut behind him.

Jay looked around at the curious customers and shrugged. "What can I say? The dude's in love."

* * *

Sean yanked open the door to the clinic and scanned the waiting room for Manny. He found her, sitting in the corner next to a woman wrangling a two year old. Hope filled his heart and flooded his mind.

He rushed over to her and landed on his knees in front of her before she ever realized he was there.

She jumped in surprise, then glanced around at people who stared. She shoved his hand off her knee. "Sean, what are you doing here?"

"You're making a huge mistake," he said, panting to catch his breath. "I can't let you do this."

"Sean, it's my choice."

"And you're making the wrong one!" He didn't acknowledge the hushed whisper that broke throughout the crowd, instead, he kept his attention solely focused on Manny. And his baby. "Just believe in me. Trust me. I swear you won't regret it."

She bit her lip to keep from crying. "Sean, you have to leave. Now."

"Manny, come on." Seeing the determined and cold look on her face shattered the hope he'd felt only moments ago.

Two security officers started over toward them.

"Don't do this to yourself," Manny whispered. "Please."

"I could say the same thing to you. Emma told me how hard you handled it last time…"

She leaned forward as the guards closed in. "That's right, Emma. Remember her? Your girlfriend?"

"Sir, I have to ask you to come with us." A black-clad security officer leaned over Sean, who still knelt on the waiting room floor, causing a scene.

He ignored them and grabbed Manny's hand. "Can you honestly tell me you feel nothing for me? Can you tell me this isn't worth fighting for?"

"I'm going to ask you one more time," the officer warned.

"Sean…"

"This isn't about Emma or the baby. You care about me," he said. "And it scares the hell out of you."

The guards grabbed each of his arms and hoisted him to his feet. Panicking, he struggled against them as they dragged him backwards toward the door. "Manny, please. Don't do this, don't be afraid."

The hushed whispers grew to a loud clamor of shocked and intrigued patients. Manny felt herself being torn in half, torn between her loyalty to Emma, and her loyalty to her heart.

"Manny, no." He wrestled against them as if his existence depended on it. "Manny, I love you!"

With that, the officers hurled him out the door, and left Manny completely beside herself.

A nurse with a clipboard stepped out of the reception area. "Manuela Santos," she called, scanning the room. "Manuela Santos."

Through the glass windows of the waiting room, she saw Sean leaned against his car, with his forehead rested on the shiny red metal. He clutched his head with both hands, his body shaking.

"Manuela Santos," the nurse said again.

"That's me." Manny stood up and started toward the nurse on wobbly legs. She kept seeing the look on Sean's face, the hopeful…sincere look on his face. And the apartment, the apartment he rented for the three of them. Without telling Emma…Manny felt guilty again, and decided she had to make it to the nurse. Everything would be okay then, no more doubts.

"If you'll sign here," the nurse handed her a clipboard.

The pen rattled against the worn sheet of paper, littered with signatures.

Without thinking, without reason, she whirled around and ran out the doors as fast as her legs could carry her. She tossed the clipboard somewhere in between the nurse and the front doors.

It was like something out of a movie, but she didn't feel cheesy. For once, she just felt happy.

Sean turned from the car, confused at first. She ran and jumped onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. He didn't lose balance, he supported them both.

She kissed him, deeply and passionately with all of the feelings she'd locked away. She broke her lips from his and breathed in a jagged breath. "You have to promise to protect me. No matter what."

"I swear, Manny." He let out a sound that could only be described as a giggle as he spun them around in a whirlwind. He grabbed a handful of her hair and kissed her again, laughing against her lips. "I swear."

Little did they know, that in his car parked down the street, Peter witnessed the whole scene from behind the screen of his video camera.


	8. Chapter 12

Authors Note: I hope everybody is enjoying this story. I know the quality of writing at the begging is horrible, but I started it years ago. That said, I have an announcement.

My paranormal romance, Soul of the Sea, is being published by kNight Romance Publishing! It's coming out sometime in April 2011. Soul of the Sea is part of a series, called Curse of the Sea, which has also been picked up by that company. I hope you guys are as excited as I am and I hope you guys will pick up the book and support my writing career! It wouldn't have been possible without !

To learn more about the books you can go to these links:

.com/jasminedenton/curseofthesea

.com/

/jasmineldenton

**CHAPTER TWELVE **

After leaving the abortion clinic, Sean and Manny burrowed themselves inside their apartment. Hours later, after steamy under-the-sheet sessions, they lay exhausted and giddy, tangled up in each other's arms.

Sean traced a small circle around Manny's stomach, where the baby would grow. "It's so mind-blowing isn't it?" A sheepish grin crossed his face. "I mean…our baby. It's right in here."

"It's?" She teased.

He chuckled. "You know what I mean. _He or she_ is growing right inside here." He planted a kiss on her belly, then rested his head against it and gazed up at her. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

She blushed and covered his face, giggling. "Stop it."

"No, I mean it." He latched onto her hand and pressed it against his cheek. "Your eyes are like chocolate. And your skin…" He smoothed his flattened palm over her bare shoulder. "It reminds me of cocoa butter."

"Why, Sean, I didn't know you were such a poet." She loved teasing him about it, but she loved what he said even more.

He blushed and buried his face in her stomach. "Baby Cameron," his words tickled her skin. "Mommy's picking on me."

She giggled, and watched him stare at her with lazy, mischievous eyes and she wondered if life could get any better than this. Any better than laying with the man you love, while he showers you with compliments, being cute and gushy and uninhibited. How did she get so lucky?

She slid her fingers through locks of his curly blond hair. "You're amazing."

She could tell it touched him, but he kissed her fingers and said, "Only by association."

She groaned and brought her hands to cover her face.

"What is it, baby?" He crawled up next to her and wrapped his arm around her.

"I don't ever want to leave." She turned her head so they faced each other. "I want to stay right here, with you. Always."

"We can." He kissed her cheek. "Always."

"Yeah, after we tell Emma and start World War 3."

He sighed and rested his head against hers. How could he have forgotten about Emma? "I'll tell her."

"No, we should do it together. It just seems like the right thing to do."

"Right and _safe_ are two different things." He stroked her hair so gently it tickled. "All of the stress the confrontation would cause, it can't be good for the baby."

"Oh no," she groaned. "You're not going to be one of those overprotective expectant fathers, are you? Pouring gallons of milk down my throat, dragging me to the doctor, refusing to let me lift over five pounds."

"Oh, absolutely." He chuckled as he squeezed her tight. "Seriously, though, you need to take care of yourself. That means avoid stress as much as possible."

"It's kind of hard to do that when we're part of the Bermuda triangle of love."

"I know its going to hurt her." He sighed against her hair. "But I love you, and I'm not going to apologize for that."

Manny fell asleep in Sean's arms that night. When she woke, the sunlight trickled in through the window across from the bed. Wincing against the sunlight, she covered her face.

Then she realized Sean still had his arm draped around her stomach, with his head resting on the pillow next to hers. His curly hair splayed across his face, and his mouth hung open a little.

She smiled at how cute and adorable he was, and then realized that it was a school day.

She picked up Sean's wrist and looked at his watch, then she gasped.

The sound jolted Sean awake. He sat straight up in bed. "What? Are you okay?"

"I'm late for school."

He sighed and collapsed against the pillows while Manny scrambled out of bed and tried to pick through the pile of their mingled clothes.

"Don't worry about it," Sean said, rubbing a hand across his face. "I'll drop you off."

"Oh that's smart." Manny hopped around the room, trying to pull her shoe on and search for Sean's hairbrush at the same time. "What if Emma saw us? It'd be kind of hard to explain how we were both gone all night and then ended up together the next morning."

"You know, all of this dodging around and trying to avoid Emma stuff is really getting annoying."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sorry if my consideration is getting on your nerves."

"Manny, that's not what I meant." He sat up, the sunlight reflecting off his sculpted muscles in a way that had Manny's hormones in overdrive. "I want to be with you. I hate hiding it."

She sighed, feeling the desperate urge to cave into bed with him and just stay there forever.

Instead, she mumbled something about needing to get to English class and darted out the door.

No sooner than Manny sat down in her seat in English, the television mounted in the corner of the room turned on. It was strange, because morning announcements had stopped awhile ago.

Hushed voices broke throughout the classroom, while the teacher stared stupidly at the TV, wondering what was going on.

Then the video came on. A busy urban street.

Manny glanced at Emma as if to say, 'What's going on?'

Then the camera zoomed in on a sign. For the abortion clinic.

A weight dropped on to Manny's stomach as the world seemed to teeter. She jumped from her seat and tried to make it to the TV so she could unplug it-just in case-but the aisle was cluttered with backpacks and she kept tripping.

As she reached the television, she saw herself on the television screen.

Running from the abortion clinic and jumping into Sean's arms. Giving him a passionate kiss that had the class gasping.

Manny turned to Emma, dying to explain. But Emma just stared at Manny while she rose slowly to her feet.

"Emma, I'm so sorry, please let me explain!" The words were a jumbled mess that didn't even sound coherent.

The class watched with anticipation as Emma made her way toward Manny. Ms. Kwan told both of the girls to take their seats, but neither heard.

"I should have known," Emma said, with a cruel laugh. "I should have known you'd take him. After all, you're Manny The Manstealer."

Manny flinched at the name. "Emma, we never meant for this to happen."

"Sean's the father?" Emma stared straight at Manny, clutching her hands into fists. "The baby is Sean's isn't it?"

All Manny could do was nod, humiliated with everybody watching.

Emma reared her fist back and punched Manny right in the face. The pain seared through Manny's bones and radiated over her skin. It felt like her cheek had shattered.

The class began to taunt 'Manny-The-Manstealer' with Emma leading them at full volume.

Manny ran from the room, crying. She didn't stop running until she reached Sean's house. She banged on the door until he answered.

He pulled the door open, rubbing his eyes with a fist. He looked like he'd just climbed out of bed, but he flew into alertness when he saw the look on Manny's face, and the swollen area around her eye. "Manny? What happened?"

"It's Emma," Manny sobbed. "She knows."


End file.
